What is TCAF?
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is one of the largest independent comic arts festivals in the world.
Each year, TCAF welcomes 28,000+ visitors and 315+ artists from across Canada and around the world to our two-day celebration of the breadth and diversity of independent comics.
TCAF is unique in our commitment to accessibility. Unlike other large comic arts festivals in North America, TCAF has remained completely free to the public since our launch in 2003, and our programmers seek to spotlight emerging talent alongside established creators.
Over the years, TCAF has drawn prominent names such as Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Daniel Clowes, Junji Ito, Chris Ware, Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, Chester Brown, Seth, Kate Beaton, Adrian Tomine, Kamome Shirahama, and Bryan Lee O'Malley, and we seek to serve as a platform for international artists to showcase their work.
TCAF 2026 will be held from June 6-7, 2026 at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. To kick off the festival, we’re also offering a full day of professional development programming for comics librarians and staff (Libraries and Education Day) and comics creators (Word Balloon Academy) on June 5.
​
-
Exhibitor Marketplace: Meet the creators of your favourite comics, and shop their latest releases. In 2024, over 315 artists and 30 publishers exhibited their works on the TCAF marketplace floor.
​
-
Festival Programming: Learn about the historical and contemporary trends in comics through panel talks, Q&As, workshops, and artist spotlights. Programming will occur onsite throughout the festival.
​
-
Kids Programming: TCAF is all-ages! Bring your kids for drawing and creation workshops and comics storytimes led by educators and library workers.
What to expect at
TCAF 2026
-
Professional Programming: Work in comics? TCAF presents two streams of professional development: Libraries and Education Day (LED) and Word Balloon Academy (WBA). LED focuses on developing skills to build library comics collections and tools to use comics in lesson plans. WBA offers two streams of programs dedicated to developing business and artistic skills for cartoonists
​
-
Offsite programming: Starting June 2nd, TCAF will also host off-site programming events in the week leading up the festival. In past years, these events have included film screenings, manga swaps, queer mixers, comics jams, and more.
Team
Our
Ho Che Anderson
General Programming
Artistic Curator
Kate Fane
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Mandy Folsom
Festival Administrator
Hannah Green
Volunteer Coordinator
Faduma Gure
​Manager, Programming & Partnerships Creative Lead
Jalen Innis
Production Manager
Aaron King
Digital Experience Manager
Allie Landy
Libraries & Education Day (LED) Coordinator
MJ Lyons
Assistant Festival Producer & Lead Programmer,
Word Balloon Academy
Claire McDonald
Volunteer Coordinator
Matthew Noe
Libraries & Education Day (LED) Coordinator
Amie Wright
Festival Director
TCAF Board
-
Peter Birkemoe
-
Simon Cheeseman
-
Michael Duboff
-
Steven Kellier
-
Gary Sherman
-
Emma Wakelin
-
Stephanie Winter
Conduct & Harassment Policy
We aim to provide a safe and harassment-free space for for all festival attendees including creators, community partners, publishers, and TCAF volunteers and staff.
​
Violent, threatening, abusive, discriminatory or harassing language or conduct of any kind is not allowed. Disruptive or intrusive behaviour is not allowed in physical or digital spaces. Online doxxing in the lead up, during or after the festival is a form of harassment and abuse and will not be tolerated. Physical or intrusive behaviour during the in person festival is not allowed.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwanted and/or discriminatory advances, intimidation, stalking, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcomed sexual attention or other verbal or physical conduct of a discriminatory or non-consensual nature.
People creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment by engaging in such conduct are unwelcome at the festival and will be escorted out. TCAF reserves the right to revoke tabling privileges for exhibitors who create an unsafe space for festival attendees including fellow exhibitors, community partners, publishers, and TCAF volunteers and staff.
If you feel that you are being harassed or if you see someone else being harassed, please do one of the following:
-
In the event of an emergency:
-
Call 911;
-
Tell venue security;
-
Tell a TCAF Volunteer (Wearing a TCAF VOLUNTEER shirt)
-
Tell a TCAF Staff Member (Wearing a TCAF STAFF badge)
-
Email us at contact@torontocomics.com
-
If you have any questions, or would like to provide feedback or input on this policy, please email us at contact@torontocomics.com.
General Public Privacy Policy
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our website or interact with us online.
​
1. Information We Collect
We collect:
-
Personal information that you voluntarily provide (e.g., when subscribing to our e-newsletter, submitting a contact form, or applying to participate in TCAF), such as your name, email address, and any other details you choose to share.
-
Non-personal information such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited, which help us improve our website’s performance and user experience.
-
​
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
-
Send you updates and news if you’ve subscribed to our e-newsletter (you can unsubscribe at any time).
-
Respond to your inquiries or submissions.
-
Improve our website, programming, and communication.
-
Comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share limited data with trusted service providers (e.g., email newsletter platforms or website analytics tools) who assist us in operating the festival, under strict privacy agreements.
​
3. Event Photography and Video
TCAF events take place in public spaces. By attending, you acknowledge that photography and video recording may occur. Images may be used by TCAF for documentation, promotion, or reporting purposes, including on social media, print, and digital materials. If you wish not to be photographed, please speak to a staff member or volunteer at the event.
​
4. Your Rights
You can request to:
-
Access or correct your personal information.
-
Withdraw your consent for future communications.
-
Ask for your information to be deleted, where legally permissible.
To make a request, contact us at contact@torontocomics.com.
​
5. Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your data through secure systems and limited access, but no online system is completely risk-free. By using our website, you accept this inherent risk.
​
6. Changes to this Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The most recent version will always be available on our website.
Contact:
Mandy Folsom, Festival Administrator
contact@torontocomics.com.
Exhibitor and Programming Applications
Privacy Policy
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) collects and manages personal information provided through our exhibitor, guest, and programming applications. We respect your privacy and are committed to using this information responsibly.
​
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal and professional details you provide as part of your application, such as:
-
Name, contact information, and organization details
-
Biographical information, project details, and sample work
-
Demographic or accessibility information (optional and used for equity reporting only)
​
2. How We Use This Information
Your information is used to:
-
Review and administer your application for participation in TCAF.
-
Communicate with you about your submission, acceptance, logistics, and festival updates.
-
Compile anonymized data for program evaluation and reporting to funders.
-
Promote your participation (if accepted) on the TCAF website and related platforms.
We will not share your personal data with third parties outside the festival’s operations, except as required by law or for necessary administrative functions (e.g., payment processing, marketing consent, event coordination).
​
3. Photography and Documentation
TCAF events are documented through photography and video. By participating as an exhibitor, guest, or presenter, you consent to the use of your likeness, booth, or presentation for festival documentation, publicity, and reporting. If you have specific privacy concerns, please contact us in advance.
​
4. Data Retention
We retain application data only as long as necessary for festival administration, reporting, or legal compliance. You may request that your information be removed from our records after the event.
​
5. Your Rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting contact@torontocomics.com.
​
6. Contact
Contact:
Mandy Folsom, Festival Administrator
contact@torontocomics.com.